Half to f



( 0 Model.)

M. K. WARNER.

FOLDING TABLE.

No. 423,973. Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARCELLUS K. W'ARNER, OF GATTARAUGUS, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR OF ONE HALF TO F. S. OAKES AND S. F. BURGER, BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters area No. 423,973, dated March 25, 1890.

Application filed July 5, 1889. Serial No. 316,523. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAROELLUS K. WAR- NER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oattaraugus, in the county of Oattaraugus and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Tables, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to provide a folding table which may be made at little cost, and which will be neat and attractive in appearance and convenient in use. To this end I provide the table-top with four legs, which are preferably removably secured to said top by pivoted latches or buttons engaging recesses or notches nearthe tops of the said legs, the latter being joined together by a fixture made in the form of a Greek cross and having four right-angular arms, on which the said legs are pivoted, so that they may be spread at their tops and bottoms when in use, and may be folded so as to be parallel to each other when detached from the table-top. The holes in the bottom of the table for the reception of the legs are so arranged that the lower ends of the crossing legs will come beneath the corners of the table-top, so as to form as strong and steady a support as possible for the table, and also to have the spread of the lower ends of the legs square with the top of a square table, to permit such a table with a top of a size about equal to the spread of the bottoms of the legs to be placed in the corner of a room or against a wall without interference of the legs with the latter.

My improved table is preferably provided with a tray or receptacle having beveled or inclined sides and a hinged cover which will stand in an inclined position when raised by the impingement of its projecting rear portion against the rear inclined side of the tray or table-top without other support, said coverbeing preferably provided on its under side with a mirror, which will be convenient for use when the table-top stands in the inclined position referred to, all as will be hereinafter fullyset forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of my improved table.

A denotes the tabletop, and B the detachable legs. The table-top is preferably constructed in the form of a tray having inclined sides and a hinged cover, the edges of which project beyond the tray, as shown in Fig. 1,

but may be made without the tray or hinged top, if desired. The tray is, however, preferred, as it provides a convenient receptacle, and the inclined rearside thereof, when used in connection with a hinged cover with aprojecting rear portion, serves as a support for said cover when the latter is raised to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1. The cover is preferably provided on its under side with a mirror at, which is in convenient position for use when the cover is raised and inclined as above referred to. Thus the inclined rear side of the table-top obviates the necessity of providing a special support for the lifted cover. The cover may be secured when down by any suitable device, as by a staple a driven into the edge of the tray, and a hook a pivoted to the lower side of the cover.

The folding legs B are detachably secured to the table-top by buttons or latches c, pivoted to the under side of the table-top and arranged to engage notches or recesses b, formed in the said legs near their tops. The said legs B are pivotally attached together, so that they may be spread out, as shown in Fig. 1, or folded together, as shown in Fig. 3, bya fourarmed pivot fixture D, consisting, preferably, of two crossed wires soldered together and provided at their ends with knobs or heads (1, to prevent the said legs from separating. These knobs or heads may be screwed onto the wire arms, as shown in Fig. 6, or they may consist simply of rivet-washers secured with solder, as shown in Fig. 5. The solder which secures the crossed wires together at their centers forms a button or solid center at, which holds the legs 13 separated, as shown in Fig. 4-, so that the said legs can move freely on the pivots afforded by the arms or wires, and can thus be moved in either direction in spreading them from the positions shown in Fig. 3 to the positions shown in Fig. 1.

In providing a square table with legs it is desirable that the latter should be so arranged that their lower ends will come beneath the corners of the table-top, so that the table will stand firm and will not be easily upset, and so that when the table-top is not larger than the spread of the lower ends of the legs the table can be set close against a wall or in a corner; but as the crossing folding legs B are all arranged outside of the center piece or button of the four-ar1ned pivot fixture D, I have found that, in order to have the bottoms of said legs come beneath or opposite to the corners of the square table, or to be square therewith, it is necessary for the inclined sockets or holes a in the under side of the table-top to be arranged about half-way between crossing diagonal lines drawn from the opposite corners of the table-top and crossing lines drawn from the middles of the opposite sides of the table. These crossing diagonal lines are indicated by a), Fig. 2, and the crossing lines from side to side of the table are denoted by '3}, while the positions on the floor beneath the table of the lower ends of the legs 13 square with the table-top are denoted by the dotted circles .2. In applying my four detachable folding legs to tables having round tops of course no particular arrangement of the holes in the under side of the table-top will necessarily be observed; but with squaretopped tables the arrangement just above described is deemed to be important, for the reasons stated.

I am aware that it is old to use three folding legs secured together by a tri-pivot for camp-stools and similar devices, and I do not therefore claim such folding legs, broadly; but I believe that I am the first to provide a table with four folding detachable legs so arranged as to support the same strongly and steadily at four bearing-points.

In making the cross-pivot or four-armed fixture D of two crossed wires one or both of the said wires are preferably provided with bends at their centers, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, so that the main portions of the said Wires outside of the solid solder button or center piece (Z will be in the same horizontal plane. I do not, however, wish to be understood as limiting my invention, so far as the four-armcd cross-pivot fixture D is concerned, to the particular construction shown, as it maybe made in other ways (for example, by screwing the four arms into a central solid or hollow hub) without departing from the spirit of my invention; but the construction shown is preferred for cheapness.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The cm11bination,with a square table-top provided on its under side with four inclined holes or sockets arranged about midway between crossing diagonal lines running from opposite corners of said table-top and crossing lines running from the middles of the opposite sides thereof, of four folding legs detachably secured in said holes or sockets with their lower ends square with said top, and a cross-pivot fixture having four arms on which said legs are pivoted and which serves to hold them together.

2. The combiuation,with a table-top having holes or sockets in its under side, of a series of detachable legs entering said holes or sockets and provided near their upper ends with notches or recesses, and buttons or latches pivoted to the under side of said table-top and arranged to be engaged with said notches or recesses when desired to removably secure said legs to said table-top.

3. The combination,with atable-top, of four folding legs detachably secured thereto, and a cross-pivot fixture holding said legs together, and having four right-angular arms on which said legs are pivoted, and which are provided at their outer ends with heads, said cross-pivot fixture consisting of two crossing wires bent at point of crossing, so that the fourarms may all be in the same horizontal plane, anda button of solder by which said crossed wires are secured. together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MARCELLUS K. \VARNER.

Vitnesses:

W. J. WEED, E. J. GARDNER. 

